Glen Alpine Falls is a 70 foot waterfall near Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe, CA. The trail is usually cleared of snow in May, although we went in early May and there was still a bit of snow to walk on in the beginning of the trail. You can hike to a few different lakes in desolation wilderness, but it is also nice to go and only to watch the Lower Glen Alpine Falls. It is about a 2-mile round trip hike to Lily Lake, and you can start at either end (weather permitting). Glen Alpine Springs Resort, a historic resort no longer in operation that dates back to the late 1800s, is about 1.5 miles up the road from the falls.
The falls come from Grass Lake, which you can also hike to, and travel down to Lily Lake via the 3 mile Glen Alpine Creek, and eventually makes its way down to Fallen Leaf Lake.
To get to the lower falls, follow Fallen Leaf Lake Rd until you see the sign for Glen Alpine Falls. Once you pass the fire station, there is usually some parking spots just below the falls, but they fill up quickly and you may have to go further to the Lily Lake lot. There is a trailhead at the Lily Lake parking lot where you can reach the higher falls (about 1 mile hike) and the other lakes.
Here is a trail map of Glen Alpine Falls (look for the blue arrow):
After we reached Lily Lake, we turned back.
ABOUT THE GEAR
For our Glen Alpine Falls hiking adventure, we used the following gear.
Toddler Backpack Carrier
We use our Osprey Poco AG Plus toddler carrier anywhere we go outdoors. We let her have fun until she is tired, and then this handy backpack takes over! Definitely recommend it to anyone with small children exploring the outdoors.
Outerwear
In Spring in Tahoe, it is still quite chilly. We prefer hiking in our Lowa winter hiking boots just in case we come across some snow or ice on a trail.
Lowa Men’s Renegade Ice GTX Hiking Boot
These boots are waterproof and insulated with GORE-TEX. I love how warm they are inside, and they have a great grip in icy conditions.
Lowa Women’s Renegade Ice GTX Hiking Boot
Our daughter lives in these boots during the winter months. They are compatible with toddler snowshoes, as they strap right in. They are very warm and rated for up to -40 F! Waterproof too.
The North Face Oso Onesie
Just like we said our daughter lives in her Sorel boots in the winter, this oso onesie is also a must have. It only goes up to size 24 months, but a definite must for any child 24 months and younger! Our favorite feature is the arms and legs that turn into gloves and socks.